CV Writing Essentials
Over the years it's fair to say I have seen a bucket load of CVs, in fact, I would envisage I read at least 20 a day, a lot more during a non global pandemic day where I can work a full 8 hours.
And if I had the time to give feedback on each one, such as how to restructure it, make it stand out, easy to read, etc I would, but sadly I don't so I thought I would write a little article on how to write a good CV.
Who Are You?
You would think this part is obvious, after all, who wouldn't put their name, address, and contact details on the top of their CV right? WRONG... you would not believe how many CV's I receive without this basic information!
How can a potential employer contact you about the job without your contact details? If you don't want to put your full address that's fine, but give them an indication of where you live.... eg South London, Norwich, Leeds, etc. If the reason you don't put it is that you are applying for a job in Birmingham when you are in London (willing to relocate) should explain it! and a phone number DO NOT forget your phone number!
Why Do They Want You?
This is your chance to stand out! what makes you a better option for this job than the 300 other applicants? This is your chance to sell yourself, tell them the things they don't typically see on a CV. Your CV should generally contain the last 10 years of experience, but if you have been a Project Manager for 20 years tell them that.
Example: "I have been a Project Manager for over 25 years, and I have experience delivering commercial and residential projects of up to ￡3bn" OR "I am highly skilled in target-orientated environments, and in my last 3 companies I have consistently been top performer, and at my current place I have increased company profitably by 12%"
I am sure you will agree this sounds better than saying I am a team player, I communicate well, I can work well alone bla bla.... Generic they have seen all that before! what makes YOU different?
Your Career History!
So something that really bugs me is when I get a cv and the first thing I read is 1994-2001 | Site Manager. Think logically about this, why would the first thing I read be about your career history from 20 years ago? Your most recent job should always be the first thing that a potential employer reads.
This is how I personally like CV's to be positioned: job title & company, month, and date... You will be surprised how many people write 2018-2019 (this could be Dec to Jan for all the employer knows, meaning you were only there a few weeks) A very brief summary about the role and any key achievements, and finally dot points of your responsibilities.
Example:
Site Manager | Crest Nicholson Jan 2014 - July 2020 (made redundant due to Covid) During my time at Crest I was responsible for the delivery of 3 key projects: XXX, YYY, and ZZZ. These projects were delivered from start through to completion, with 2 of them being 3 weeks ahead of schedule. On each of these projects, I had 0 snags and won an award of excellence for XXX project.
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I am sure you will agree, this looks clear and concise, is factual and to the point, and above everything is EASY to read. Add the rest of your career history in order, using the same format. As I mentioned before 10 years is plenty, you want to keep this CV over 2 pages if you can. All an employer will care about is what you have done most recently, not whom you did your apprenticeship with 20 years ago.
Your Education / Qualifications
Now this is a funny one, I mean really do you care if I got 6 Cs and above when I left school in 2003 Or that you got 5 O-levels in 1988?? Probably not but always best to put them anyway. This is a place on your cv to highlight what you worked hard towards at school, college, or university. Again similar format to a career:
Ipswich High School - 6x GCSE
National Construction College East - Level 3 Diploma in Site Carpentry
University of Westminster - BTEC/SQA Higher National Diploma in Construction BTEC/SQA Higher National Certificate (HND) in Construction
Certificates
References
Finally references this is your choice, some people write available on request whereas others list names and numbers. But how I view it is, if you are as good as your CV portrays you to be, then you won't be scared to list them.
You will be happy to know you made it to the end of my article. I hope these tips come in handy and may help you secure your dream job. I am always happy to give advice to anyone needing it, so feel free to drop me a DM.